


Night Watchman

by TheKnitterati



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Techienician - Fandom
Genre: Backstory, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Techienician, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 16:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12236385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKnitterati/pseuds/TheKnitterati
Summary: Techie still gets surprised by bad memories. Matt always watches over him when things surface unexpectedly.





	Night Watchman

Matt was grateful it had happened today. Neither he nor Techie had work shifts tomorrow, and knowing how tonight could go, they would be glad for a chance to sleep in.

It was difficult to know exactly what had triggered the memories this time. If Matt was honest, it was difficult to tell most every time….it was very rare that Techie’s horrible past living with the Clan under Ma-Ma could be dredged up from its deeply buried hiding place with recollections as simple and clear as a voice that sounded like her, or a face that looked familiar. No…all too often it was a tiny subtle thing. Once it had been a scent. Techie had gone wide eyed in the mess hall, started trembling all over. Long after Matt had gotten him to their room and soothed him, Techie had explained that he had smelled the bantha with sikoroot that was on offer that day, and the scent was so like a dish Ma-Ma used to make for herself that the memory had slammed into him with the force of a blaster bolt. It had sent terror racing up his spine and caused a panic attack right there in the cafeteria.

Matt shifted as gently as possible on the bunk. Techie stirred, whimpered once. Matt curled slowly around his ginger haired soulmate and quietly shushed him. Soothed, Techie sank back into sleep again. 

As he stared into the darkness, Matt wished again that Ma-Ma hadn't died in the battle for Peachtrees. Not for any noble reason, oh no. Matt only wished she hadn't died in the fight so he could have the satisfaction of killing her himself. Of being absolutely positively certain beyond any shadow of doubt that she truly would never return to harm his Techie again.

Whatever had set Techie off today seemed to have happened not long before Matt got off shift. Cold comfort though, when he had returned to their cramped shared quarters to find his love curled in on himself and jammed beneath the tiny desk he did his communications work from. Matt had fallen to his knees and crawled to Techie. 

“Baby? Baby what's happened? I'm here now…you’re alright…” Matt used his softest and quietest voice. He knew from experience now that if his own panic could be heard, they would be stuck like this for hours.

Techie just whimpered and shook his head. He had a long strand of his coppery red hair in his mouth, and he was sucking on it while his eyes darted around the room. 

Matt stretched his hand out until it was beside Techie’s leg. Not touching. Not yet. Just there, just present. 

“When you’re ready, Baby, I'm right here.” Matt propped himself against the wall and settled in. Sometimes it took a while for Techie to remember that Matt was a safe harbor. 

It wasn't long before the lanky redhead slipped out from his hiding place and slipped into Matt’s lap. He tucked himself as small as a six foot man could into Matt's arms, pressing himself against Matt's broad chest. 

“Mm sorry…it just happened…I heard…” Techie drew a stuttering breath. “I heard a song.” 

Matt blinked behind his glasses. 

“A song, Baby? Were you monitoring comms?” 

Techie sighed and sank deeper into Matt’s embrace. “Yeah.. I was monitoring hangar three. Lots of traffic today so they asked me to keep an eye on things. Some crew member had patched their music player to the shuttle they were repairing and…it was quiet, but it was a song that Big Joe used to play…he was in the Clan, he..sometimes he was nice to me. Sometimes he had to hit me though.” 

Techie sniffed and snuffled and burrowed a bit closer to Matt. 

“I'm sorry Mattie. It just brought memories back and I got so scared and you weren't home yet and I just wanted to hide.” 

“Oh Baby don't apologize, no no.” Matt pushed his lips against the closest part of his love he could reach, which was the top of his gingery head. “I'm so sorry I wasn't home yet, I wasn't here. But I am here now, I've got you, you're ok and I've got you and we're together. We're alright.” 

Techie twisted in Matt's arms, tilted his chin up for kisses which Matt happily bestowed. They had stayed there for some time, just taking comfort in each other's presence. 

Eventually they had gotten up, gotten to bed. Techie had fallen asleep, after Matt has assured him that he would remain on guard and looking after things, just in case. Sometimes these nights went easily. Sometimes they were filled with bad dreams and screaming. 

Either way Matt was always there. Always protecting his love. Guarding him as best he could against the memories.

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of squashed the Dredd universe against the Star Wars universe here. Writers liberties, let's call it. First time fic writer liberties, even. 
> 
> I did not intend to lead with this, I have a fluffier work in progress but this just sort of appeared and turned into a super quickie one shot so...there ya go.


End file.
